US album release: Live In New York City by John Lennon

The second album of previously-unreleased recordings to be issued after John Lennon's death, Live In New York City was recorded at the One To One fundraiser at Madison Square Garden on 30 August 1972. It was released on this day in the United States.

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The album carried a producer's credit for Yoko Ono, and featured a cover photograph by Bob Gruen.

In the United Kingdom Live In New York City reached number 55 upon its release on 24 February 1986. It peaked, a surprisingly poor showing. It spent just three weeks in the charts before dropping out. It was issued on LP and cassette, though both were deleted in November 1988. The album was also released on compact disc on 28 April, and contained a four-page booklet.

It fared slightly better in the United States, peaking at number 41 and was eventually certified gold. The vinyl and cassette were released on 24 January 1986, and the compact disc on 26 May.

Live In New York City remains one of only two full-length solo live recordings by Lennon, the other being Live Peace In Toronto 1969. It was his only full-length concert performance, and marked the final time he performed live with Ono or Elephant's Memory.

Latest Comments

SimonTuesday 24 January 2017

Lennon live was always pretty poor. I’ve seen this show when it was shown on TV over 10 years ago and I was stunned at how bad it was. Most people still view Lennon as some kind of musical messiah when he really wasn’t that good. His solo stuff was pretty atrocious with some decent songs smattered here and there. I am a HUGGGEEEE Beatles fan, and I appreciate good music and own some Lennon albums on both CD and vinyl but am just not as blown away by his output as most. For me (so please refrain from bagging on my personal opinion), it was all so autobiographical (him, or him & Yoko) that it became boring, and even some of his latter stuff with the Beatles was head-scratching (his lyrics on I’ve Got a Feeling just have me go wtf). Talented to be sure, but the MOST talented in the Beatles – hells no. Solo stuff was pretty dreary, which his sales at the time show.
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